Automotive brochure

www.southampton.ac.uk/automotive automotive@southampton.ac.uk

Driving change.

Automotive engineering research Our specialist car simulator, offering a realistic driving environment that can be used to investigate driver behaviour

Enterprise There are many ways you can work with Southampton’s automotive engineers. Researchers welcome approaches from companies and organisations wanting to tap into our knowledge, skills and expertise. Options include consultancy, collaborations and projects; all can be tailor-made to suit customers’ requirements. Opportunities also exist to engage with our students through projects and initiatives such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Members of the Research Institute for Industry (RIfI) and the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) Consulting would be pleased to talk about the options.

World-class facilities

Impressive track record

−− Engine test cells

Over the years, Southampton’s researchers have worked alongside many automotive and motorsports teams and companies in their supply chains. They include:

−− National Centre for Advanced Tribology (nCATS)

Jaguar Land-Rover, Aston Martin, Ford, Fiat, VW, BMW, Peugeot, Hyundai, Nissan, Ducati, HarleyDavidson, Continental, Michelin, Dunlop and F1 teams including British American Racing/Honda, Sauber, McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Benetton.

Southampton’s famous RJ Mitchell Wind Tunnel, in demand by Olympic athletes and F1 teams, is just one of our many impressive experimental and test facilities.

Also available are: −− Driving simulators −− Instrumented test vehicle −− Six-axis motion simulator −− Rolling-road dynamometer −− Electric vehicle demonstrator

−− Composite structure testing facility −− Electrochemistry laboratory −− Anechoic chamber −− Iridis4 supercomputer and simulation software −− Biofuel production laboratory … and many more.

Cutting-edge research The UK’s automotive industry is going from strength to strength. It is key to the UK’s economy, with an annual turnover of £60 billion. Around 731,000 people are employed in the sector - more than 38,000 of them in the exciting world of motorsport - and it is predicted 100,000 new jobs will be created in the industry by 2020.

Education Undergraduate courses

Many of tomorrow’s top automotive engineers will have been educated and trained at Southampton. Our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are among the best in the world, accredited by organisations such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and attract hundreds of talented people every year. Bachelors of Engineering (BEng) and Masters of Engineering (MEng) degrees teach the principles of the subject across three or four years and challenge students to apply them through practical projects. Taught postgraduate degrees develop graduates’ knowledge and skills further and postgraduate research degrees support the highest level of independent research.

−− MSc Mechatronics (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science)

−− Biofuels

Formula Student

−− MSc Propulsion and Engine Systems Engineering (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science)

−− Materials and lightweighting

Engineering students are in the driving seat for this exciting national competition to design, build, and test a single seater racing car, then drive it at Silverstone. Members of the Southampton team put theory into practice and develop their skills and confidence to compete with more than 170 other universities each year.

Southampton’s specialisms in automotive research include: −− Human factors −− Noise, vibration and harshness −− Devising effective driving simulators

Engineers at the University of Southampton have been leading research in this area since 1972 when specialists in sound and vibration research formed the Automotive Design Advisory Unit (ADAU) with its own laboratory and testing facilities. Now, our researchers work across the rail, aerospace and marine sectors to find answers to many of transport’s most challenging questions. Current hot topics include cutting engine emissions, increasing fuel efficiency and improving the efficiency of electric drive.

−− Structural composites

Acknowledged expertise

−− Intelligent transport systems

−− Vehicle dynamics and performance −− Electric machines and power electronics −− Energy storage −− Aerodynamics −− Tribology

The mission of Engineering and the Environment at Southampton is to change the world for the better. Our researchers are widely recognised for the excellence, breadth and impact of their work. In the latest assessment of research quality at UK universities, the University achieved top ranking as the most powerful for General Engineering in the country (REF 2014).

A professional focus Engineering degrees at Southampton cover all the bases. Students can choose to learn more about race car aerodynamics, composites engineering, mechatronics and automobile systems in addition to core engineering competencies and apply for work placements at a range of top companies from vacation work to a semester or a year in industry. There is also the opportunity to study a management module.

Many former students are now in senior positions worldwide. F1 designer, Adrian Newey, began his career in Southampton’s wind tunnels, he now offers placements at Red Bull for talented students.

Keeping you ahead of the curve Engineers at Southampton are involved in cutting edge research, extending the boundaries of knowledge and creating tomorrow’s innovations. However we are equally interested in working with automotive companies and organisations in the UK and across the world on practical solutions for challenging technical issues. Research informs the teaching of our talented undergraduates and postgraduates who will become the next generation of world-leading engineers.

Our six-axis motion simulator is capable of reproducing transport environments: with control of vibration, noise, temperature and humidity.

Our students compete in the national Formula Student competition

−− MEng Mechanical Engineering / Automotive Taught postgraduate courses −− MSc Aerodynamics and Computation (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science) −− MSc Computational Engineering Design (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science) −− MSc Engineering Materials (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science)

−− MSc Race Car Aerodynamics −− MSc Sound and Vibration Studies −− MSc Surface Engineering and Coatings (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science) −− MSc Sustainable Energy Technologies −− MSc Transportation Planning and Engineering Postgraduate research degrees (MRes, iPhD, PhD, EngD) Southampton offers an extensive range of exciting and challenging research projects, many with guaranteed funding, to high calibre and wellqualified individuals from the UK and around the world. Our EngD and PhD programmes operate in direct collaboration with industry; our students are sponsored by a range of companies.

EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training −− Energy storage and its applications −− Sustainable infrastructure systems